If you are in the market to get started with video animation, consider if your team is equipped with the right tools to return the highest results.
Video animation serves multiple purposes, three of which include to 1) Entertain 2) Educate and 3) Engage. If the purpose of your video is to simply entertain, then turn to an in-house animator. However, if your goals are to educate or engage with your audiences, your in-house capabilities may not be able to extend to that of what a processional video agency can offer. Animation is but only one aspect of creating a successful explainer video.
In order to create a successful explainer video that is specifically designed to return results, it should undergo a series of four crucial phases.
Are you a visual learner? Click to download our infosheet about the Four Stages of a Successful Video:
Phase 1: Video Strategy
A team of video professionals can work with your marketing department to identify the exact components that will make your online video successful. They will also work to establish exactly how the video will fit into your existing marketing strategy.
Phase 2: Creative Development
The creative phase is where a number of different elements are born, from the artistic storyline and script to development of the animated characters and recording voice-overs.
Designing an animated character is one thing, but understanding how it will move as well as how it will be received by your audiences in another.
For example, look at the animation of the girl to the right. She is well designed and is aesthetically pleasing to look at, so naturally one would think she would be a good example of a character to use in an online video, right? The answer is no!
She is far too rigid and complex for animation and would not be able to fluidly move, speak or show emotions.
If your character is designed in a way that hinders animation, interaction or the ability to show emotion, your video will not be successful. These are areas in which professionals who are well experienced in video animation will be able to lend their expertise.
In contrast, take a look at the image to her right. This is a great example of a character that is well suited for an animated video. He has simple, yet defined lines that allow him to freely move – giving animators endless options to transform his body and facial expressions.
Phase 3: Production & Management
After finalizing the creative aspects of a video, a professional productions manager with extensive experience in the video industry can piece the components together, while at the same time ensuring that the video is on time and on target. At this stage, a good video agency will not hesitate to go back to the drawing board if the video is not developing in a way that will return results.
Phase 4: Analytics & Testing
The final phase is where the completed video is live and being hosted on a powerful platform that measures user engagement, views, and drop-offs. This valuable data can be used to:
- Track success and measure your ROI
- Identify both the strongest and weakest areas of the video
- Make changes and adjust strategies accordingly
- Use data as a guideline for subsequent videos
While your team may be well equipped with the tools to execute each of these phases independently, they may not have the specific experience within the video industry to produce a video that is designed to return measurable results.
A professional video agency will have in-depth experience across all faucets of video from the communication strategy to the different design elements that we have proven to be most engaging. This is invaluable knowledge that will have been acquired through years of research and practice and is precisely the competitive advantage your online video needs to be successful!
